Tayyaba
Fatal Attraction is a TV series with a deep-dive reimagining of the classic 80’s horror/thriller film by the same name. Paramount+ released the finale of Fatal Attraction recently on May 28th, 2023. It explores the theme of mental illness, marriage and infidelity throughout the show. It is considered an ‘American erotic psychological thriller television series’ which has been developed by Alexandra Cunningham and Kevin J Hynes. In Fatal Attraction we can re-examine a story that we are familiar with from a modern lens. There are many differences between the 1987 film and the latest series, one being the complex story of Alex.
Alex & Ellen: New depth to the characters
Showrunner Alexandra Cunningham has talked about expanding Alex and Ellen’s stories, succeeding on many fronts. The new television series has managed to give a more open-minded view of Alex Forrest, while Ellen had audiences shocked. Goosebumps were got and flesh was prickled when viewers got to see that Ellen grew up a lot like Alex. This started when Alex pulled Ellen aside when she was a child and told her how her parents were lying to her, which child Ellen took to heart. When she grows up, the striking similarities between her and the late Alex Forrest are sure to send a chill up your spine. These stories added more depth to the previously sidelined characters.
“One of the things that really got to me is the daughter. I’ve always watched Ellen going through all of this emotional trauma and wondered, “How is she processing all of this?”… That was something I could actually explore if I was going to do a series. I could explore the effect of Alex’s murder on Ellen and how the body keeps the score.”
Showrunner Alexandra Cunningham about Ellen
Some differences between the show and the movie:
In the movie, Alex is depicted as an evil monster seeking out the right victim. In the series, she is painted as someone who has dealt with terrible trauma in her life and never learned the healthy ways to cope with it. She developed mental illnesses, and was described as someone who is “unstable and scared and lost.” While movie Alex is clearly meant to come across as someone to be feared, series Alex is way more easy to understand and sympathize with. The ending is also very different with multiple twists as compared to the film. In the film, its Beth who murders Alex Forrest but in the series, its actually Arthur, which came across a shock to so many fans.